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THE MEDIA AFRICA ANNUAL_digital

Sehortun Afcira 35
19% of the population used the
medium in 2014. Penetration is
growing steadily, boosted by a
growing number of smartphone
users.
Various studies have shown
that despite high cellphone tariffs,
Botswana boasts over 100% mobile
phone penetration. “Mobile
connections have become virtually
ubiquitous in Botswana, where the
number of consumers with more
than one cellular connection is so
high that penetration is already
either over or very close to 100%
and by 2018 will be well over
100%,” says Lyn Jones, JCDecaux’s
Marketing & Research Manager for
sub-Saharan Africa.
Both the state and private media
rely on advertising revenues for
sustenance, although state sources
often undercut private media. The
major corporations in Botswana
wield immense power in terms of
their adspend. As with most other
African countries, the two media
outlets with the broadest appeal are
Out of Home (OOH) and radio.
“Print advertising is best geared
towards high income consumers,
who are increasingly likely to
be attracted to digital forms of
advertising (TV, outdoor, internet
and smartphones) – whereas OOH
advertising has the ability to reach
low and middle income consumers
as well as expats and high net worth
individuals,” says Jones.
A PAMRO 2013 country report
revealed that in Botswana,
consumer recall of OOH media for
large billboards is high, at 60%.
“The added benefit is that
Digital OOH campaigns booked
on JCDecaux’s Ignite Roadside
Digital networks are controlled from
a central hub in Johannesburg –
advertisers are able to change
copy on the fly across Africa,” notes
Jones, concluding, “marketers can
now segment their messages by
time of day and relevance to the
environment.” n
Botswana FAST FACTS
Population: 2,182,719, Urban
population: 57.4% of
total population (2015)
Age
structure:
0-14 years: 32.66%,15-
24 years: 21.49%, 25-54
years: 37.31%, 55-64
years: 4.48%, 65 years
and over: 4.06%
Ethnic
groups:
Tswana: 78%; Kalanga:
8%; Basarwa: 3%; Other,
including Kgalagadi and
white: 11%
Languages: Tswana (or Setswana):
79%, Kalanga: 11%,
Basarwa: 3%, other,
including Kgalagadi and
white: 7%
Literacy: 88.5% (estimate)
Income: Share of income of
highest 10%: N/A; Under
poverty line: 30.3%
Internet users: 32 368
Internet
15%
penetration:
Source OMG Africa September 2015